Method and system for arranging an advertising schedule

Abstract

A method and system for arranging advertising breaks based on channel surfing characteristics of viewers. The surfing characteristics of a plurality of viewers is determined, the surfing characteristics bearing on a likelihood of a respective viewer channel surfing. Advertisements are assigned to time slots among a plurality of channels based on the surfing characteristics of the plurality of viewers to form an advertising schedule. Programming is delivered with the plurality of advertisements according to the advertising schedule. The reduction of simultaneous channel surfing increases availability and efficient use of a shared medium by a plurality of different users.

1. A method for arranging advertising comprising:
 determining, by a processing device, surfing characteristics of a plurality of viewers, the surfing characteristics bearing on a likelihood of a respective viewer channel surfing; 
 assigning, by the processing device, some of a plurality of advertisement time slots to first times for a first channel among a plurality of channels that the plurality of viewers is predicted to view based on the surfing characteristics; 
 predicting a surfing destination channel for the plurality of viewers based on viewer destination characteristics bearing on a likelihood of a respective viewer selecting a particular destination channel; 
 assigning no advertisement time slots to the surfing destination channel during the first times so that no advertisements are presented on the surfing destination channel while advertisements are presented on the first channel during the first times to form an advertising schedule to reduce simultaneous channel surfing during at least one of the plurality of advertisement time slots; and 
 delivering programming with a plurality of advertisements according to the advertising schedule. 
 
     
     
       2. The method of  claim 1  wherein the plurality of advertisement time slots is assigned at various times among the plurality of channels in a first arrangement that has an aggregate simultaneous surfing characteristic that is less than an aggregate simultaneous surfing characteristic of another arrangement. 
     
     
       3. The method of  claim 2  wherein assigning the plurality of advertisement time slots at the various times among the plurality of channels based on the surfing characteristics of the plurality of viewers to form the advertising schedule further comprises assigning the plurality of advertisement time slots at the various times among the plurality of channels based on current channel viewership and the surfing characteristics of the plurality of viewers to form the advertising schedule. 
     
     
       4. The method of  claim 1  wherein the plurality of advertisement time slots is assigned at various times among the plurality of channels in a first arrangement that has an aggregate simultaneous surfing characteristic across the plurality of channels that is less than an aggregate simultaneous surfing characteristic of any other arrangement. 
     
     
       5. The method of  claim 1  wherein at least some of the plurality of advertisement time slots is assigned to a first group of programs at first times and no advertisement time slots are assigned to a second group of programs at the first times. 
     
     
       6. The method of  claim 5  wherein the first group of programs comprises programs that are determined to be low viewership programs, and the second group of programs comprises programs that are determined to be high viewership programs. 
     
     
       7. The method of  claim 1  further comprising:
 establishing a replicated channel of the first channel currently being delivered to the plurality of viewers; 
 effecting transfer of a plurality of the plurality of viewers from the first channel to the replicated channel; 
 assigning some of the plurality of advertisement time slots to first times in the first channel; and 
 assigning others of the plurality of advertisement time slots to second times in the replicated channel, wherein the first times are different from the second times such that advertisements are not provided on the first channel at a same time that advertisements are provided on the replicated channel. 
 
     
     
       8. The method of  claim 1  wherein determining the surfing characteristics of the plurality of viewers comprises identifying channel change requests associated with the plurality of viewers over a first period of time, and identifying, for each of the channel change requests:
 a channel from which the respective viewer is channel surfing; 
 a program associated with the channel at a time of the channel change request; and 
 whether an advertisement was playing on the channel at the time of the channel change request. 
 
     
     
       9. The method of  claim 1  wherein a start time associated with at least one of the advertisement time slots is created based on adjusting a playback speed of a program with which the at least one of the advertisement time slots is associated. 
     
     
       10. An apparatus for arranging advertising comprising:
 a communications interface adapted to communicate with a network; 
 a control system coupled to the communications interface and adapted to: 
 determine surfing characteristics of a plurality of viewers, the surfing characteristics bearing on a likelihood of a respective viewer channel surfing; 
 assign some of a plurality of advertisement time slots to first times for a first channel among a plurality of channels that the plurality of viewers is predicted to view based on the surfing characteristics; 
 predict a surfing destination channel for the plurality of viewers based on viewer destination characteristics bearing on a likelihood of a respective viewer selecting a particular destination channel; 
 assign no advertisement time slots to the surfing destination channel during the first times so that no advertisements are presented on the surfing destination channel while advertisements are presented on the first channel during the first times to form an advertising schedule to reduce simultaneous channel surfing during at least one of the plurality of advertisement time slots; and 
 effect delivery of programming with a plurality of advertisements according to the advertising schedule. 
 
     
     
       11. The apparatus of  claim 10  wherein the plurality of advertisement time slots is assigned at various times among the plurality of channels in a first arrangement that has an aggregate simultaneous surfing characteristic across the plurality of channels that is less than an aggregate simultaneous surfing characteristic of any other arrangement. 
     
     
       12. The apparatus of  claim 11  wherein to assign the plurality of advertisement time slots at the various times among the plurality of channels based on the surfing characteristics of the plurality of viewers to form the advertising schedule, the control system is further adapted to assign the plurality of advertisement time slots at the various times among the plurality of channels based on current channel viewership and the surfing characteristics of the plurality of viewers to form the advertising schedule. 
     
     
       13. The apparatus of  claim 10  wherein at least some of the plurality of advertisement time slots is assigned to a first group of programs at first times and no advertisement time slots are assigned to a second group of programs at the first times. 
     
     
       14. The apparatus of  claim 10  wherein the control system is further adapted to:
 establish a replicated channel of the first channel currently being delivered to the plurality of viewers; 
 effect transfer of a plurality of the plurality of viewers from the first channel to the replicated channel; 
 assign some of the plurality of advertisement time slots to first times in the first channel; and 
 assign others of the plurality of advertisement time slots to second times in the replicated channel, wherein the first times are different from the second times such that advertisements are not provided on the first channel at a same time that advertisements are provided on the replicated channel. 
 
     
     
       15. The apparatus of  claim 10  wherein a start time associated with at least one of the advertisement time slots is created based on adjusting a playback speed of a program with which the at least one of the advertisement time slots is associated. 
     
     
       16. A method for arranging advertising comprising:
 determining, by a processing device, surfing characteristics of a plurality of viewers, the surfing characteristics bearing on a likelihood of a respective viewer channel surfing; 
 assigning, by the processing device, a plurality of advertisement time slots at various times among a plurality of channels based on the surfing characteristics of the plurality of viewers to form an advertising schedule to reduce simultaneous channel surfing during at least one of the plurality of advertisement time slots; 
 establishing a replicated channel of a first channel currently being delivered to the plurality of viewers; 
 effecting transfer of a plurality of the plurality of viewers from the first channel to the replicated channel; 
 assigning some of the plurality of advertisement time slots to first times in the first channel; 
 assigning others of the plurality of advertisement time slots to second times in the replicated channel, wherein the first times are different from the second times such that advertisements are not provided on the first channel at a same time that advertisements are provided on the replicated channel; and 
 delivering programming with a plurality of advertisements according to the advertising schedule.